Axle-box



W; HuSAUNDERSQ Patented Dec. 2, 1856.

w mk NYFETERS, PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER,'WA5HINGTON. n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-WM. H. SAUNDERS, OF HASTINGS-UPON-I-IUDSON, NEW YORK.

AXLE-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WM. H. SAUNDERS, of Hastings-upon-Hudson,lVestchester county, New York, have invented certain new and usefulInqarovements in Boxes for Axles, and that the following specification,taken in connection with the drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an end view of my box from the side nearestthe vehicle. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end. view ofthe box at the smaller end thereof. Fig. at is a longitudinal sectionthrough the box and Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line X X of Fig. 2.

My invention relates to cylindrical axles of all sorts for vehicles andis intended to obviate certain difiiculties, which arise when they areused as at present constructed, while the expense of construction is notmaterially increased.

The requisites of a good cylindrical box are first that it should betruly cylindrical so as to avoid play and consequent rattling when theaxle slips endwise in the box, from wear, or compression of the washers.Second that the material should be highly polished, so as to diminishfriction as much as possible. Third that the metal should be hard so asnot to cut away readily nor to lose its shape when subjected to violentconcussions of the axle against the interior of the box; and fourth thebox if possible should be made of a metal that expands by heat in agreater ratio than the axle itself so that there should be no stickingwhen the axle arm heats up.

The ordinary cast, iron axle box fulfils the three first requisitionsitis susceptible of being truly bored out, highly polished, and is ofsufficient hardness, but cast iron is as may be seen by reference totables of dilation of different bodies by heat, less increased in bulkby equal increments of heat than wrought iron. Hence it follows thatwhen an axle heats, it usually sticks in the box, and either wrings openthe hub or twists itself off at its collar. It has been attempted toobviate this latter difliculty by making the whole box of cast brass, orby lining it with Babbitt metal cast into it; but a brass box is tooexpensive and is not sufficiently hard while the Babbitt metal lining isnot only much too soft to stand the concussion, but also melts out whenthe axle becomes heated. When it'melts, the

16,153, dated December 2, 1856.

axle arm cuts itself to pieces on the irregular shaped iron box. Now ithas occurred to me that by lining the box with a 0011- densed thin drawntube of copper or some compound thereof such as brass or German silveror with metals or compounds having similar qualities in regard todilation as compared with iron and capable of being hardened bycondensation that I could secure all the advantages required in a higherdegree than usual; could obviate the difiiculty of sticking when heated,or at any rate the danger incident thereto, and further could furnish abox having less friction than those now in use. These advantages canmoreover be attained at a moderate increase of cost.

The nature of my invention therefore consists in lining an axle boxsubstantially in the manner hereinafter described with a thin tube ofcondensed and therefore hardened copper or some of the alloys thereofsuch as German silver or brass or with a thin tube similarly hardened ofsome metal or alloys capable of being condensed and so affected by heatas to increase in bulk in a greater ratio than wrought iron.

In order to carry out my invention I take a tube of brass, German silveror similar substance either brazed or seamless, but best made of sheetmetal hardened by rolling and brazed, and draw it down over a polishedsteel mandrel of the same diameter as the box and through dies graduallydecreasing in size, until the metal begins to tear and break or untilsufficiently hardened. I prefer to make the last die or the last two orthree dies polygonal or fluted so as to give a corresponding shape tothe exterior of the tube. hen this tube is cut up into proper lengths itis shoved into a cast iron box properly bored and chlorid of zinc. isintroduced between the tube and box. The whole is then subjected to heatuntil the two surfaces are soldered to each other. Other methods ofsecuring the tube in the box may be used, and the ends of the tube maybe expanded or swelled over the ends of the cylinder in which it rests,so as to prevent its slipping endwise even if the solder should melt. Bysuch means I procure a tube with a hard polished interior surface sothin that the box as a whole is not enlarged in diameter and at no greatincrease of cost over a common box. This tube moreover expands fasterthan the axle which it contains and when heated will tend to free itselfcompressing the solder. When much heated all that can happen is that thesolder should melt out and then the box will revolve around the lining;there can be no danger of splitting hubs or twisting off axles. Such abox will induce much less friction than one wholly composed of brass orcopper as the latter cannot be hardened and it will cost less. The pipecannot inelt out as is the case with a Babbitt metal lining and even ifthe solder melts the axle will not cut and a resoldering will make thewhole as serviceable as ever.

In the drawings the iron of the box is shown at a a, the lining at b I)while the expansion of the lining at one end is shown at 0 c. r

Having thus described my improved axle box I claim therein as new and ofmy own invention- A lining of a thin tube of condensed and hardenedductile metal or composition substantially such as is herein specified,introduced and secured within the box and presenting a hard polishedsurface to the axle itself substantially in the mnaner and for thepurposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in presence oftwo witnesses on this 2 day of Feby. A. D. 1856.

W. H. SAUNDERS.

WVitnesses P. D. KELLY, JOHN MORRIS.

